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Chapter 3 (Cora)

Getting Elanora in the bath, I lathered her hair full of essential oils, making it smell like roses and lilacs. While I bathed her she picked at the meal I had prepared for her, only eating a few bites, leaving the rest untouched. After thoroughly washing her, I grabbed a towel and dried her off carefully to dry her hair thoroughly to not upset her by getting her gown wet.

Putting on her green and gold embellished gown, Her Highness, the first princess, had gifted it to Elanora. It was from the southeast country of Eastria and one of the finest gowns she owned. I did her makeup with rouge around her cheeks and eyes and a red lip to make her amber eyes pop. I pulled her hair back into an updo, letting some of her brown ringlets fall to frame her face, securing a taira to the top of her head, and letting everyone know she was royalty.

By the time I got her ready, the footman from the main building was pulling up in the carriage, willing to take her to see the king in the main hall. Helping her into the carriage, I followed behind her. Though I am not the most prestigious personal maid like the other royal family members, I was Her Highness's only personal maid.

Unlike the first princess, who had an entire entourage of maids and servants at her beck and call, the second princess only had my mother and me as personal maids and a few select servants who had been banished to the annex from the main palace for various reasons.

The annex was where servants who had lost the privilege of working or entering the main palace came. Because of this, my mother and I were the only ones at the annex who could escort Elanora to the main palace, by the King's decree.

Of those who came to the annex, most were grateful to be under my mother's firm but caring authority, but others resented the fact that they had become an outcast from the main palace. For those who became bitter, it wasn’t long before they left the annex to find work together in the city or another country.

The short ride over was excruciating. Elanora sat across from me. I could feel her leg bouncing in anxiety under her gown, even with the usual bumping of the carriage. The air was thick, and her fear came off in waves. The king had never called for her in her twenty-two years of life except for the annual birthday feast.

“What do you think his highness has called me for?” her lips quivered.

“I’m sure whatever it is, your highness, it will be fine.” there was nothing I could say or do that would comfort her more than that. We both didn’t know what we were facing. I only prayed it was something I could protect my mother from.

As we pulled up to the main building, the main hall loomed above us, set upon a grand stairwell, with its great marble pillars greeting us and gold gilded ceilings meant to show all nobility who the true nobles were.

Bowing my head as we got out of the carriage, I stood three feet behind Elanora. We were escorted by the king's knights, who had been stationed at the top of the stairs and couldn’t even come down to greet Her Highness properly. Princess Elanora held her head high as she tried to ignore the smirks from the knights as they jeered about how little her entourage was. With as much courage as I knew she had, she walked toward the throne room to greet His Highness, King Emerson.

We passed by a few noblemen on the way to the throne that I knew were the royal advisors for the king himself. They all looked upon Elanora with either a look of pity or look of contempt. Whatever they had just discussed probably involved Princess Elanora, and I knew whatever we were about to face would not be good.

As we walked into the grand room, I turned to stand near the wall while Elanora continued down the carpeted walkway towards the steps leading up to a pair of jewel-encrusted thrones. His Highness King Emerson sat with Her Highness Queen Evelyn, the mother of the first princess. His Highness was a proud man. His amber eyes were the only ones he had genetically given, while her brown hair and a willowy slender figure came from her birth mother; her father was a stout man with graying blonde hair and a voice that boomed even in an entire room of people. Her Highness sat with a rigid back, her long black hair braided into a bun above her neck. Her ice-blue eyes never once left Eleanora's figure. Her Highness pursed her lips, displeased by the sight of the second princess.

“Greetings, your highnesses, Keepers of the Brefiel throne, may the sun set upon you.'' She curtsied and bowed her head, just as my mother taught us to do in front of the king when we were little.

“Elanora, my child, you have grown into such a fine woman since I last saw you.” His Highness bellowed down from his seated position, not glancing up to look at her. His head hung in his hand, his eyes more intrigued with the ring on his finger than his daughter's.

“Thank you, your highness.” she managed to squeak out over her building anxiety.

“Pray to tell, have you heard of the impending visit we are to have in ten days? The new king of Andal is to visit with his embassy.” I could hear the lingering resentment in the king's voice as he talked about Andals new king.

“I have not heard of the news, your Majesty.” Elanora’s voice trembled.

“Elanora,” his voice boomed in the almost empty hall. “Her Highness, the advisors and I have decided. You will be hosting him as the first princess is too busy planning her wedding to the Duke.” Before she could get one word out or try to protest hosting such a vicious man, the king dismissed her with a wave of his hand.

As we returned to the carriage, I could visibly see her shaking from fear or anger I did not know. But I did know that the king confirmed the Duke would marry her sister, the first princess; I knew I would somehow be punished for this news. On top of that, I had to figure out a way to survive hosting the god of war, who was hungry for death. Hopefully, he was full from his earlier conquests.

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